North Central participates in NAC&U’s 2010 Summer Institute

In June 2010, a team of North Central College faculty and administrators joined colleagues from 20 colleges and universities at the 14th annual Summer Institute of the New American Colleges & Universities (NAC&U), the consortium of independent and small to mid-sized institutions, of which North Central is a founding member. The Summer Institute invites conversations and develops initiatives among the member institutions and across campus roles.
This year’s Institute was hosted by Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., and featured a pre-conference Executive Summit, leadership development workshop, affinity groups, and panels and keynoters around various themes, including “Sustaining Community, Renewal and Meaning in Work.” The Summit formed the basis for an article published by the Chronicle for Higher EducationAug. 20 on the consortium’s ability to draw upon “deep partnerships” to address the challenges of the higher education environment.
The seven-member team included President Hal Wilde; Devadoss Pandian, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty; Paul Loscheider, vice president for business affairs; Laurie Hamen, vice president for enrollment management, athletics and student affairs; Fran Navakas, Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities and professor of English; Mara Berkland, associate professor of speech communication; Maureen Kincaid, associate professor and chair of education; and Jim Godo ’93, assistant vice president for marketing and communications.
An unexpected highlight took place during an “educational expedition” as Pandian, Navakas, Berkland, Kincaid and Godo traveled by ferry between Staten Island and Manhattan. A couple sitting nearby happened to overhear a conversation about Naperville and mentioned being educated in the area. The couple turned out to be alumna Dorie Hubbard ’60 and her husband Tom of Berea, Ky., who plan to attend North Central’s reunion this fall. In the discussion that followed, the group learned their daughter, alumna Christie Hubbard ’91 of Chicago and former student of Navakas, was also on board, and student and English professor were reunited.
North Central will host the 15th anniversary Summer Institute June 22-24, 2011, as part of the College’s 150th anniversary celebration.
Photo, l. to r.: Kincaid, Berkland, Pandian and Godo on ferry ride between Staten Island and Manhattan.